Exotic Beauty
by lovesoka
Summary: Edited! It was dark but she didn’t notice. Lightening flashed but she didn’t see it. It was raining but she didn’t notice. Makiru is crying but no one notices. All they see is.... this has some OCC in it but hey its still good. RR
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer : I do not own any of the Ruroni Kenshin characters, Nobuhiro Watsuki does, but all of the others are mine ;). Enjoy !!!

It was dark but she didn't notice. Lightening flashed but she didn't see it. It was raining but she didn't notice. Makiru is crying but no one notices. All they see is a frightened girl running to the same place she has ran to for the past few months. The place where she escaped to without the world staring at her, waiting for her spirit to finally break. Now because of that place she could no longer be pure according to the rumors but it did not matter to her. She still was but never said anything to clarify that. Every time she ran she remembered how it all started. How Gentatsu Takaski captured her heart and her love.

FLASHBACK

"Today is not my day," said Makiru was running.

She had been doing a lot of that lately since her dad killed her mom and was able to get away from it. She never wanted to be near him when he was drunk, and to make it worse he brought his also drunk friends with him. By societies standards Makiru is a beauty. Though she didn't have the powder pale skin all the other women desired, she possessed raven black hair which was usually kept in a bun but went to her knees when let loose. She is about 5'5'', has hazel eyes, and 18 years old but possessed a body that was a little more mature. This small fact made up for her tan skin, though if seen in the woods with her emerald green kimono she looked like an exotic beauty deciding weather or not to get up and do a seductive but elegant dance to welcome travels to her home of wonders. Makiru knew that she was beautiful but if complemented she would say she was nothing compared to her mother. Despite what one with her looks would think, she was actually a very timid girl who preferred to stay out of the spot light. Just like today, when her father came home, he would probably try to make her "entertain" his guests and unfortunately, mother isn't there to help her anymore. That's why she was out in the woods. Though the reason for her running was different. She had reached the woods unharmed and expecting to be graced by the silence and tranquility it bestows on her once she gets to her secret spot. As fate would have it Makiru was so engrossed in her thoughts that she completely missed the sounds of chatter and the rancid smell of sake as she boldly walked into a clearing by a calm stream. What she found there would forever be imprinted in her memory. What she saw were about twelve men sitting on the streambed, drinking and talking. What she didn't see were two other men sitting calmly and soberly off to the side watching her with a curious eye.

"What do you think you are doing?" Makiru roared out when she saw the damage they had done to her shrine of bliss and solitude. There were broken bottles scattered around them along with pieces of paper, vomit from drinking too much, along with the remains of what looked like what could have been food.

"Wha waz sat?" one of the men slurred while trying to get up and over to her. Still the quiet two had gone unnoticed by her.

"I said what do you think you are doing," she said again just this time with tears coming out of her eyes at the sight of her desecrated haven. She fell to her knees if sorrow but happened to forget that there were men there. When she fell one who was not about to faint grabbed her arm and pulled her to him. She froze.

"You're a pretty one, aren't you?" the vile man said in her face, "It has been such a while since I've really enjoyed any… company." he wiggled his eyes brows suggestively thinking that her loss for words was due to his proposition. (You may remember this man from the movie. He is the one with the green hair and lighting eyebrows. He is the one who betrayed Shigora.) He decided to kiss her and began to lover his face to hers.

"Since when did the men under my control take to raping young girls?" a smooth deep voice through and ending the oncoming kiss in it tracks. Out of shock the man dropped a shocked Makiru who was staring at the speaker in awe and surprise. 'When did they get there?' she thought while staring back and forth between the two men sitting at the base of the tree.

"And you miss, why didn't you defend yourself?" asked the same man again. That was a good question, why didn't she defend herself. She opened her mouth to say something only to shut it again so she didn't look like a gaping idiot. Makiru stared at the speaker, the younger of the two. Starting from the bottom she worked her eyes up his form. Hey eyes flitted his powerful legs, they were currently folded under him, and decided that they were long and slender. Her vision shifted over to his detailed arm since only one was out of his sleeves, then at his strong hands. Those were scarred and calloused from years of handling a sword. Makiru then shifter here eyes to his covered torso 'damn' she thought. Her eyes continued their ascent up his sturdy neck and stopped at his lips. After staring for about a minute she tore her eyes away but not before noticing them curve slightly into a small smirk.

"Like what you see?" he asked with a hint of amusement in his eyes and voice. She blushed furiously then wondered why. 'Why am I blushing? Father's friends tell me things like this all the time and I never blush, what's going on?' Someone clearing their throat and some snickering form behind her interrupted her thoughts. In an attempt to hide her embarrassment she shifter her vision to what she thought to be an extremely interesting piece of grass. Then the lips she had been so intently studying moved.

"What is your name?" the younger one asked. In a moment of unnatural bravery she asked," Tell me your name and I'll tell your mine." She said, never taking her eyes off the ground. A low chuckle and the rustle of grass was her answer. Makiru looked up and realized the younger one was walking towards her. She wanted to move but wasn't able to upon the realization that her legs had decided to become lead. He walked until he was about a food away, smirk still on his lips and amusement in his aqua marine eyes.

"My name is Gentatsu Takaski. I had heart that and exotic looking woman-child came here often. I wanted to see for myself if for once the rumors were true. He said while circling her ever so slowly. Makiru felt so small under his scrutiny. He continued this until she screamed.

"What were you a vulture in another life? I am not a piece of meat up for the taking. Wipe that smirk off your face!" she was beet red and her eyes had darkened with fury. Gentatsu was very shocked to say the least at her outburst.

"Hahahahahahah! That's the fire I saw in you when you first entered the clearing, he took another step closer then leaned towards her, gazing deep into her hazel eyes, "I like it." Makiru was completely lost in his eyes; so lost that she did not notice him gently slipping an arm around his waist nor exactly how close he was. What she did notice what the little freedom the wind gave her was how inviting his lips looked. Unconsciously she began to lean in and was snapped back to reality by a warm, strong, callused hand turning her face and the lips she was dreaming of seconds ago ever so slightly brushing against he cheek. Said lips hovered millimeters above her skin then traveled to her ear.

"They were tight, you truly are and exotic beauty and we are extremely sorry for desecrating your precious place; it is lovely." While he spoke she could feel his hot breath gently brush against her ear and neck, sending delightful shivers down her spine.

"You and your silent friend are welcome without the rest of your men anytime. I'll bring a friend with me to keep the company even." She barely whispered out. 'Damn, how is he doing this to me and why is he so how?'

"It is getting late and need to get home. Good bye," she said and fled the clearing. Gentatsu watched the quickly disappearing figure leaving his line of vision. He then took a good look around and realized two things. First the clearings really looked and smelled disgusting and second 'she never told me her name'. "sigh" The area really was a mess. With an exception to where he and Shigora was sitting had both pre-digested and uneaten food in various places. The steam was not as clear as it was about thirty minutes ago.

"Clean up this mess now." He commanded calmly. Gentatsu leaned back against a tree and closed his eyes. A soft chuckle was heard from his companion.

"What?" Gentatsu asked curious to found out what amused her friend so.

"It seems you made a friend." Shigora said while his green eyes took an a brighter shade of green with mirth.

"Yes I did." Gentatsu responded and with a slight smile on his lips finished, "a very interesting friend who knows someone you might like."


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer : I do not own any of the Ruroni Kenshin characters, Nobuhiro Watsuki does, but i own all the others ;). Enjoy !!!

Makiru walked through woods with a pensive look on her face and the two handsome strangers on her mind along with their rowdy crew. Before she knew it she was back in the city. She made a mental note not to use the short cut because her over protective and inquisitive friend lived there. As she walked, letting her feet guide her, she failed to notice two things. One was that she was going towards her friend's house despite her mental note and two it started raining. After a few minutes and a strong cold wind, she realized were she was and that she was staring into a pair of pissed gray eyes. 'Oh crap.'

Nadoka's POV

Nadoka had been at the door looking aimlessly at the crying sky. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed her friend Makiru walking in the rain; her normally alert eyes glazed over in deep thought. She called out to get her attention but Makiru did not even look her way. After a few minutes she walked out and stood in her path, a few steps ahead of her. After a soft breeze passed her eyes came back into focus and widened.

"Hey Nadoka, what's up?" she asked her seething friend nervously while backing up a few paces.

"What's up? Ok I'll tell you," Nadoka began a little too sweetly, "You disappeared, again, your father passed here looking for you and brought his friends along for the trip, and I had to lie for you for the millionth time when he asked where you were. Not that I'd tell him the truth but still." Makiru stared at her friend strangely because she managed to say all of that on one breath.

"Where were you anyway?" Nadoka asked curiously while still gibing her shorter friend a suspicious glare.

"I told you I could not tell you." Makiru said, trying to keep a straight face.

"But wh…wait could not? You mean you will tell me now?" she was excited now and said that last part pretty quickly.

"Ummm yea. Actually,"

"Oh-no. the last time you said that word, we ended up in a tea house." Nadoka nearly shouted.

"Well not this time, thankfully there are absolutely no tea houses or drunkards involved. Just you, me, the place I always to, a couple of men I met there today, food,…"

"Wait, what do you mean a couple of men?" Nadoka was confused and angry. 'How could Makiru take other people, men for that matter, there before me?'

"Don't worry I did not bring them there, when I went today they were sitting under a tree." Makiru said.

"Does this have anything to do with the reason you are taking me there?

"Maybe," Makiru said with a smirk. "They asked me to come join them and promised not to bring their men with them if I went and I told them I would be bringing a friend."

"Why?"

"Because I would feel better if it were even, since there would be two of them and one of me?" Makiru finished with a pleading tone in her voice.

"Fine, but I am only going for you sake, not because there happen to be two men and I'm conveniently single and hoping they both would abandon you and them become mine." Nadoka said with a smirk and a mischievous glint in her gray eyes.

(I believe this would be a good time to describe Nadoka. She is only a year older than Makiru, 19. She has piercing gray eyes and can be very intimidating. She is about 5'8'' and has a slender build. She has long light brown hair that she keeps in a bun at the base of her head but falls past her waist when she lets it down. Unlike her friend she had milky white skin, spotless skin. Nadoka body was also mature, further along than her friend's, and she enjoyed the complements and attentions showered on her from suitors. Her mother was also dead and she lived with her father. Her father was a kind man and loved his wife dearly. He refused to remarry much to hid daughter's delight. Back to the story!)

"Of course not" Makiru responded sarcastically.

"Well since it's so late and we have so much to talk about why not say here for the night and give me detailed descriptions of those men you met?"

"Sounds good to me."


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer : I do not own any of the Ruroni Kenshin characters, Nobuhiro Watsuki does, but i own all the others ;). Enjoy !!!

Oh i forgot to mention this in ch 1. thank you for your comments, they helped quite a bit !

Nadoka convinced her father to send a servant to her friend's house with a message saying that Makiru was safe and stayed at their house last night because she lost track of time while with his daughter, Nadoka. Meanwhile the two girls, after cleaning the house, slipped out of the house where they hoped to find a little excitement for once. As they entered Makiru's "shrine", Nadoka could not help but gasp in surprise.

"It's beautiful!" Was all she was able to gasp out before the site completely overwhelmed her. Makiru smiled at her friend, and the two of them walked in silence until a voice broke the silence.

"Good afternoon ladies." A smooth voice said. Nadoka, being new to the place and extremely protective of he younger friend, freaked. The poor girl, in an attempt to protect, ran over to Makiru, tripped on a protruding root, and fell onto someone's firm chest. The arms belonging to the chest came up to her shoulders and helped he steady herself.

"Are you alright miss?" a strong masculine voice asked her, laced with concern. Gentatsu and Makiru glanced at each other then at the blushing pair. Gentatsu quietly walked over to Makiru and whispered, "I believe our friends need a little time to themselves."

"I think so too." Makiru said with a smile. The two watched as Nadoka and Shigora stumbled over their words a little more before soundlessly slipping away.

"Well that's the first time I have ever seen her at a loss for words." Makiru laughed after she and Gentatsu reached the clearing by the stream. Gentatsu went over to the tree he had been sitting at the day before, when he had met this strange woman. She had captured his thoughts when she ran into him and his army yesterday.

Makiru had walked over to the stream and stared at the shore across the stream, the one place she never dared to go. Tearing her eyes away from the dense greenery only a few feet away, she fidgeted under the feeling of eyes on her. Resisting the urge to turn and scream she looked up at the sky instead and smiled softly. It quickly left her lips when she heard a sigh that was not her own. Finally arming her mind against his smirk, she turned and was surprised by the far away look in his eyes.

"What are you thinking about?" she asked as she went to the tree and sat down.

"Where did you get this?" he asked completely ignoring her question. What he was referring to was a long scar in the process of healing.

"What?" she asked genuinely confused. He took her arm and pushed back her sleeve to reveal the most recent evidence of the way she was treated at home by her father. It took her a moment to remember when she had gotten it. 'Oh yea, my father gave that to me after I decided to mouth off to him about him and his drunken friends. I forgot the about cooking knife laying nearby and my father's extraordinary swordsmanship.' She looked up at him but the look in his eye made her look away.

"Oh that, that's nothing. I was cut with the knife while cooking." She gave her normal and well practiced answer with downcast eyes.

"Is that so," he said noticing she did not use 'myself' and that she would not look him in the eye. Not letting go of her wrist he asked, "Did you cut yourself of were you attacked?" Makiru looked into his eyes ready to tell him she did it herself but instead looked away.

"Who did this?"

"I d-"

"No you did not." He took her chin and turned her to face him. Gentatsu locked gazes with her and asked again, "Last time, who did this? I will know if you lie." He brought her face a little closer and bent her head back to look deep into her eyes.

"I-it w-was m-" she stuttered but did not finish. 'I can't. I don't even know him that well. No I hardly know him at all and I'm about to tell him, only after a few short hours what took me almost three years to tell my best friend?'

"No" she whispered, "I can not tell you yet."

"Why not?"

"I don't know you."

"I did not know I was considered a stranger" his response came back coldly.

"No I did not mean it like that."

"Then what did you mean?"

"I meant… its just…'sigh', I've only know you for a few hours and, I can't do this."

"Do what?"

"Nothing." She whispered and began to get up or at least she tried. It turned out that he still held her scared arm and with a quick pull she found herself falling. Now this had mixed results. For one she did not hit the ground, she was pulled into the lap of her companion. Secondly, well this advantage was more for Gentatsu, Nadoka and Shigora chose that time to make an appearance.

"What it going on here?"


End file.
